Thing 4: Google Hangout

For Rudaí 4 I had to try Google Hangout. First I updated my google profile by adding a photo and some interests. Then it was time to use Hangout. I added my boyfriend and we had a video chat. I found it tricky to use because when I would go onto a different website and go back I had to then find the video again. The really funny thing was he was able to add some cartoon images to his face so there was the "professor" look followed by the "large mustache" look. So my homework was done!

Thing 3: My professional brand

For Thing 3 of Rudaí 23 I had to log in to LinkedIn. I admit I took the easy approach and didn't make many changes (I'm fortunate to already have an account which I did update fairly recently). I uploaded a new photo though. I joined the Rudaí 23 group and introduced myself. I looked at the pages of the Rudaí 23 organisers. I really liked the page of one of them who works in a public library. She runs a read aloud book club for adults with intellectual disabilities. I do something similar so I followed her on Twitter and sent her a Tweet. My brand is about health sciences libraries and about people and as a (n activist/active?) vegan I kind of want to include that too. I like to organise events in the library world and in the veggie/vegan world and that is part of my brand.

Thing 2: Why I became a librarian

I like libraries. People always assume I like books. Yeah, books are good but for me it's about people. I like library spaces and people. When I joined a public library at age 14 I was really happy. It was exciting to pick out loads of books to bring home and read. In 5th year in secondary school I signed up to be a library prefect. I had to tell my peers to "Shuush". Apart from that I got to check in and out their books and do a bit of shelving. In college I learned you can apply for a summer job in the Dublin public libraries. I got a job in Dublin City Council and got bitten by the library bug. I just really enjoyed the atmosphere and the fact that different things happen depending on the time of year. Every day most definitely wasn't the same. I really wanted to work in public libraries but haven't done so since. I decided to become a professionally qualified librarian because I felt like returning to study and thought it would be easier to do so now (in 2003) than later. I worked in offices after that but then said Right, it's time to apply for library jobs. I thought I'd work as a library assistant for a few years but the job I got was as a part-time health sciences librarian and the rest is history. Or at least evolving. As librarians we are constantly evolving.